Australia Post Delivery Rate Server Down

[DavSpud]

Auspost website is back up and running now! http://drc.edeliver.com.au/

[DavSpud]

Auspost website (server) is back up and running now!

[Eagle75au]

is the server down? i installed this mode over 1 week ago and still havent had it work at anytime...

i dont get any other errors except the server is down..

www.store.engynit.com.au

[RodG]

is the server down?

Nope. It hasn't been down since May.

i installed this mode over 1 week ago and still havent had it work at anytime...

When the server has gone down I've never known it to be down any longer than 48 hours (and that was over a weekend).

i dont get any other errors except the server is down..

That is amazing, on account of the fact that such an error message simply doesn't exist. (when will people learn that the exact wording of error messages generally mean something?).

Can I *assume* that the error message you are seeing is
"ERROR:Unable to obtain a valid quote from the Australia Post Server."

There are MANY different causes for this message. The server being down is just one of them, and probably the *least* most likely cause.

Other than connectivity issues (generally resolved by swapping server access methods from FILE to cURL (or vice verci) the more common reasons why you will get the "ERROR:Unable to obtain a valid quote from the Australia Post Server." are invalid weights (over 20kg) or invalid dimensions (length >100cm, girth > 140cm).

However, in your case, I think you have something a lot more 'sinsister' going on.

If I didn't know better I'd think your store was being hosted on a Commodore C64 .... it is SLOOOOooooowwwwww.

I tried to do a couple of quick tests and checks for you to see if I could offer a more definitive reason for your problem, only to find that you seem to be having a problem with the popup shipping estimator itself (nothing to do with any particular module). Instead of the estimator opening a new window (as it should based on your current configuration), it is opening up in the same window as the shopping cart, and in doing so it appears to be emptying the cart(?)

That is as far as I've got. I'm finding your site to be far too slow to do any further testing, and as I've said, you appear to have something far more wrong that just issues with the AustPost module.

Did I mention that your site is Slooooowwwwwwww...

Cheers
Rod

[RodG]

is the server down? i installed this mode over 1 week ago and still havent had it work at anytime...

i dont get any other errors except the server is down..

www.store.engynit.com.au

An update to my earlier reply.

I checked your site again a short while ago and whatever was causing it to be slow has apparently been resolved. This time the shipping estimator popup did work as it should, and I was able to invoke the error message.

I then checked the log files from the austpost server and noted that there were no requests arriving from your store.
In other words you have a connectivity issue.

In most cases, swapping from 'FILE' access to cURL access (or vice verci) will resolve this issue. In some (rare) cases it will only half solve it.

Either way, if you could toggle the access method you are using (this is a setting under the admin function for the AP module) and let me know when you have done so I'll recheck the log files for further clues (that is assuming the change doesn't fix it for you).

Please *don't* just change this setting, notice it has no apparent affect and then change it back again. *I* need to check the logs with this toggle in the opposite state to what it is *currently* set for.

You can ignore the request above if the act of changing this toggle produces a *different* error message, in which case by all means put it back how it was but let me know *exactly* what the 'new' error message says.

This is step one in the fault finding process. Until we solve the connectivity issue you can *ignore all other possible causes*.

Cheers
Rod

[hrinfo]

Hi Rod (and everyone else)

I have the dreadful error problem as so many others so any help will be appreciated. Now the important details first:

Using:
zencart v.1.3.8
austpost__improved_2-1-3 (it is the only shipping module in use)
Paypal (it is the only payment module)

Web site is (it is my wife's ): http://www.dollswithsoul.com
Best products for testing are in category: Snowmen

Error message:
ERROR:Unable to obtain a valid quote from the Australia Post Server.
You may still checkout using this method and we will contact you with postage costs as soon as possible.

I have tried everything and nothing seams to work at this stage. I tried the curl on/off on server as well as on the module, results are the same (error). I have tried all the codes (as suggest in the forum) to see if I get an error and still nothing. Basically I am not getting any errors or any that I can see anyway.

I have tried with different Tare weights no difference. I have maximum weight set to 20kgs and use kgs throughout.

When I use the measurement of 10x10x10 (as suggest in message 72) I do get a quote with no problem. Nevertheless the quote is the same for any postcode in OZ. When I try
international codes get the error again.

Messages with error debugging on:

Product working :
http://www.dollswithsoul.com/index.p...products_id=44
via sessionoverideC 1000 - W 10.00 - H 2.5 - L 10.00 - I
via sessionoverideC 1000 - W 10.00 - H 2.5 - L 10.00 - I

Product not working:
via sessionoverideC 27000 - W 30.00 - H 2.5 - L 30.00 - I
via sessionoverideC 27000 - W 30.00 - H 2.5 - L 30.00 - I

Now I think it is a connection problem because I am running also a localhost web server on my computer for testing purposes and everything works fine. The site is a complete duplicate.

So the question is what could the server be doing that stops me from connecting to the post server. My web site is hosted in US but have pretty much total control of it. So any ideas will be greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance

Tassos

[RodG]

Hi Rod (and everyone else)

Now I think it is a connection problem because I am running also a localhost web server on my computer for testing purposes and everything works fine. The site is a complete duplicate.

So the question is what could the server be doing that stops me from connecting to the post server. My web site is hosted in US but have pretty much total control of it. So any ideas will be greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance

Tassos

Firstly, thanks for all the information you have supplied. It makes my job so much easier :-)

Anyway, I can confirm without any doubt that you have a connectivity problem.
I can also state with 100% certainty that it is not related to the redirection issues mentioned elsewhere in these threads.

Unless it breaks things in a really bad way, can I get you to change your current cURL setting to the opposite state that it is currently in and send me a note to let me know when it is done.
It may not make any difference from your perspective, but it is important that I check this just incase there is more than one issue at play.

Cheers
Rod

[hrinfo]

Hi Rod,

Thanks for the quick reply. The curl was turned on (server side) and now it is turned off.

Tassos

[RodG]

Hi Rod,

Thanks for the quick reply. The curl was turned on (server side) and now it is turned off.

Tassos

Bad news I'm afraid. You still don't have any connectivity.

You will need to work with your ISP with this one.

I've not come across an ISP yet that prohibits both types of access methods (file and cURL), yet this is what appears to be the case here.

If an ISP only allows one type of method it will usually be cURL (these days), and some of these require the use of a proxy server (GoDaddy is a good example of this), so I suggest this is where you need to start looking and working.

Having said that though, generally if the 'file' access method is restricted the AustPost module usually bombs out with an 'error in line 6xx' type message, so you might even be looking at a firewall related problem instead.

My recommendation, contact your ISP or search their help files for 'cURL proxy settings'.
Enter the settings you find into /admin/configuration/my Store/
Ensure the 'use cURL' toggle in the AP module is ticked.

In theory, that should get things going.

Cheers
Rod.

PS. You'll find that as long as this problem exists you'll not be able to use the PayPal (and some other) modules either.

[hrinfo]

Hi Rod,

Thanks, you were correct. They block outbound connections for security purposes and they only open them on request and verification. So I gave them the server names from Aus Post and will let you know how it plays out.

Tassos